Golden Slave
by Godell
Summary: I know the title's stupid, but it's good. In an AU, the Greywords family is struggling to uplift the curse put on them by their greatgranfather Garrizo's old master. Zelgadis decides to travel back to the place where it all began...and finds more than he
1. Prologue

Golden Slave

By

Godell

This might be a rather multi-chaptered story later on. Let's hope so, eh? This is fun! A bit of an AU, but it's worth it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, only this spell.

**Prolougue**

It is said that in the times when Hellmaster Phibrizzo still had his servants, one Mazoku accidentally fused himself with a human—a priest. In his confusion on which was the correct path to chose—the pure path of the priest, or the evil, cruel path of the Mazoku—he decided to create a spell that would, besides destroy his foe, also purify a small shard of his essence. He called it "The Golden Slave".

Here's the spell:

_As shining as the sun,_

_As pure as white_

_Which is darkness? Which is light?_

_Help me to choose the correct path_

_And destroy those who try to stop me_

_In the name of Hellmaster Phibrizzo,_

_Let my soul find true peace!_

_Let my broken essence cry:_

_GOLDEN SLAVE!_

In the end, the Mazoku's soul began to go towards the side of light. Eventually, he turned fully human, and had a son—who was blind.

After learning of his son's loss of sight, the Mazoku decided on teaching his son the Golden Slave. However, the boy decided on keeping it secret, until his (multiple) dying days. The spell could have saved him…and so, in his son's dreams, he would always here his father mourning over him, and his decision to not use the Golden Slave.

Oh, yes—the Mazoku's name was Galrizzo, and chose Greywords for his last name when he became human. Hellmaster Phibrizzo cursed his family with the most horrible curse a Mazoku can do:

There would be much grief in his family; unquenchable desires, eternal searches, madness, etc. However, Phibrizzo accidentally left out the part that was the most terrible: Being unable to find someone to love…

Garrizo Greywords stood inside the room of his wife. His golden eyes, so much like his former masters, were smiling genuinely. In his arms, there was a tiny boy with rather messed up purple hair. "My little boy.." he smiled at the baby, who gurgled in return. "Now, what should I call you?" Garrizo asked the baby, even though it obviously couldn't answer. "Oh! I know! Rezo! How's that sound, kid?" he cheered. The baby waved his hands in glee. "Okay, you're now Rezo Greywords!"

In the two days that passed, Garrizo wondered why on Earth Rezo couldn't open his eyes. Bringing his child to the nearby medicine woman, Garrizo asked her what on Earth was wrong with him. "Ah—here's your problem, sir: he's blind." She clucked. Quietly paying the woman, he jogged back home, with Rezo in his arms, feeling a pit in his stomach.

Six years went by, and Rezo seemed to be growing quite nicely. He didn't seem to mind his blindness, but would sometimes wander into the basement and think _In this darkness, everyone's as blind as me. _He would then cry a little, cursing the darkness with three-year-old "swears". After a while, he began to learn to read rapidly, and would spend most of his days indoors, reading up on spells. At first, Garrizo encouraged this, but in the next few months, he began to get uneasy. Rezo was obsessed with healing his eyes. One day, Garrizo decided to bring Rezo to a white-magic temple, so he could learn a few things outdoors for once. Once there, Garrizo told his son to go and find a companion to help him with his search. Rezo, for the first time in ages, smiled. It was good to be out in the fresh air again.

Wandering around the temple, Rezo found a "sight" that made his heart seem to inflate ten-times larger. It was a girl about the same age as Rezo, with raven-black hair that stuck out on one side, and the typical white shrine-maiden robe. Her eyes were gold, just like most of the Greywords. She glanced up at him, and gasped. "Oh! You must be the boy the Head Priestess was talking about yesterday! I'm Eris. What's your name?" the girl said with a smile, and held out her hand. Rezo smiled back.

"Oh, I'm Rezo. Rezo Greywords." With that, the two companions enjoyed themselves wandering about the temple, scaring a few of the maidens, reading up on spells, trying to out-fib each other, and generally had a good time. But they would never have guessed what price they would have to pay for they're friendship…

**Is it okay? R&R please! I'll give you Copy Rezo's staff if you do! (jinglejinglejingle) ;)**


	2. Chapter 1: Zelgadis

Okay, chapter number one, here we go! (hands out Copy Rezo's staff) Hope you enjoy 'em!

Audience: (jinglejinglejingle)

Hehe! Now then…

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, except for Zellia, Zeila, and Garrizo (now deseaced).

Please note: From here on out, this fic takes place _several years_ _after _Phibrizzo puts the curse on the Greywords family, and Garrizo's death. SO, Rezo and Eris are now in their early forties, Zelgadis' parents are in their twenties, and Zelgadis is only four.

**Chapter One**

Zellia growled angrily at her husband. They hadn't stopped fighting since Hellmaster Phibrizzo had placed the horrid curse on the family. With a sigh, Zellia began to form a shamanistic spell, one that would hopefully stop her husband from harming anyone. "_Laguna Bl_—" she began, then stopped in horror as her husband, the son of the wolf-men Chief, dropped dead. "Th-that curse…it's destroying us all…" Zellia muttered, her hands shaking. Little Zelgadis toddled in, munching on a banana. "What's wrong, Mama?" the boy asked. "Why is Papa lyin' on the floor like dat?" His mother took him by the hand, and led him outside. "O-Oh, he's just resting, that's all. I told him about your wonderful drawing of him as a huge mouth, and he fainted from fright!" she said with a forced smile. Zelgadis smiled. "I'm glad he liked it, Mama!"

Zelgadis looked up at the mound of dirt that his father's body now kay underneath. It was so weird. His Papa was a very nice man; why did the family put this rubble on him? Turning to Rezo, he asked "Grampa, is Papa gonna get outta there soon?" Rezo bent down to his son's height, and said "You'll meet up with him again someday, when your older." Zelgadis blinked in confusion. This was his first time dealing with death. It would not be his last.

Zellia sighed. It had been two months since her husband's death, and Zelgadis was not coping too well. He had locked himself in his father's bedroom for the past few days, and, if the sounds coming from the room were anything to go by, he cried endlessly for his father. Eris had magically opened the door, and was at the moment consoling the boy. After all, she too had been rather fond of the gruff-yet-kind man. Standing up with determination, Zellia marched to the room where her son and Eris were. "Mom, I think it's my turn to talk with him." She stated, smiling fondly at Zelgadis. Eris stood up quietly, smiled knowingly at her daughter, and walked out the door. Zellia's black hair melded into the darkness, and her gold eyes, like Eris', gave her the essence of a cat. Her simple tunic brushed against Zelgadis as she sat down. "I miss your Papa too, Zelly. He was a great man. What do you know about him?" Zellia asked her son with a small, sad smile. Zelgadis shrugged.

"Well, he was the son of a wolf-man, as you know, and had a reputation of being the most feared of his kind. However, your grandparents and I found him on our doorstep one night, bleeding from a terrible head wound. After healing him, we taught him a bit of our speech. He told us much of his past, how he had been forced to slay his family by a evil enchanter, and beaten out of his tribe by the rest of his clan. A bond began to grow between the two of us. Eventually, we married, and had you. The rest you know already." Zellia replied, tears forming in her eyes. Zelgadis then smiled, and hugged his mother. "I'm glad I now know more 'bout Papa." He told her, his face looking so much like the father he once knew. Zellia pulled her son close, and they began to cry together, their anguished voices becoming one, mingling with the ringing of the mansion bells…

One year later, those same bells awoke Zelgadis from his sleep. Leaping up, the boy remembered that today was his first day of school! "Oh, gosh! I'm gonna be late!" he yelled, as he ran out the oak door. Brushing his hair once quickly, Zelgadis grabbed a piece of toast from the kitchen, kissed his mother and grandfather hurriedly (his grandfather was too busy learning White Magic spells to teach), and ran out the door, all in the space of five minutes and forty seconds. He was halfway down the road when he noticed he was still in his boxers. "DRAT! This means I hafta go all the way back home and get properly dressed!" Zelgadis fumed. He was just about to make a quick dash back to the Greywords Mansion when—

"OUT OF THE WAAAAAY!" came a yell. Zelgadis had barely a second to turn around, when someone grabbed him and charged off down the road. "Uh, who are you! And LET ME GO!" he asked, twisting around to face his captor. The boy came face to face with a boy his age, with purple hair, closed eyes, a staff, and a pair of violet overalls with a long, baggy shirt. "Hello, my good sir! I'm Xellos, your fellow student. The reason that I'm not letting you go is because, well, I accidentally squished some old hag's petunias, and she's on the warpath. Please 'scuse the inconvenience." the kid practically gushed, smiling a smile that nearly split his face. Sounds of an old lady cursing and hobbling along at a gait that was impossible for someone of her age were soon heard. Zelgadis blinked, amused slightly, and asked "Where are we going, Xellos?" To which Xellos replied, placing the boy on the ground: "Your house, of course! We'll lose the old goat in a minute, just you watch!" Zelgadis didn't know it then, but at that moment he had just met his future best friend. With a laugh, the two youngsters leaped over the many fences that lined the town, crawled under wheel barrels, and skirted carriages that crossed their path as they headed for their destination, the fear of being late momentarily gone from their minds.

**What do you think? R&R! I'll give you Zelgadis' sword if you do! Oh yes: remember, this is an AU, so Xellos doesn't act like he normally would. Yes, he will annoy Zel sometimes, but otherwise…he'll be a prankster, smart student, and companion of Zelgadis! (grin)**


	3. Chapter 2: Cursed

Here we are, chapter 2! Thank you all who reviewed! (hands out swords) Now then, on with the fic!

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Slayers, only Zellia and the Golden Slave spell.

Chapter 2: Cursed

"ZELGADIS GREYWORDS!" Eris yelled at the sleeping boy. "Unnh…wha?" he yawned. "Wake up, bud. You were sleeping again." Xellos poked his friend with a teasing smile. "Yeah, well, I'm not an A+ at history, like you are, Xel." Zelgadis growled back. Eris smartly whacked both boy's hands with a fan. "Now listen here. We'll be having two honorary guests in a few moments, and I want the both of you to be on your BEST behavior. GOT IT!" she snipped. Xellos and Zelgadis nodded, rubbing their sore hands absent-mindedly. It had been two years since they first met each other, and since then had worn Eris' patience thin.

Watching his grandmother walk out of the room, Zelgadis remarked "She never did forgive us for putting that tack on her chair, huh?" Xellos smirked. "No, nor did she forgive _you _for dunking her clothes in ink. I think she ripped up her priestess uniform in her rage." Laughing, the two friends flicked wads of paper at each other until Eris returned, bringing with her two young girls, one a year younger than Zelgadis, and the other several years older, looking to be at least 12. Her breasts were already large enough to be mistaken for softballs. Both girls wore simple tunics, the elder black, the younger white The younger girl stepped forward. "My name is Amelia wil Tesla Sailuune!" she chirped, bowing politely. The elder girl ignored all niceties, and boomed "And _I _am her elder sister NAGA! OHOHOHOHO!" Xellos and Zelgadis introduced themselves politely, asking Eris "Are these two…the new students?" Nodding, the former shrine-maiden guided the two sisters to their seats, leaving the two boys nearly choking with surprise.

As the weeks went by, Zelgadis and Xellos began to grow accustomed to the new arrivals. The girls were great shakes at White and Shamanistic magic, and were often seen practicing healing spells on each other's wounds. Xellos and Naga began to play pranks on each other, Xellos always getting the upper hand. Amelia and Zelgadis would sometimes help Rezo on his experiments, such as ways to improve one's mind, power, etc. It was on one such day when disaster struck.

"Amelia. Fetch me that purple vial over there, please." Rezo instructed, leaning over a cauldron of grey stuff. The girl hastened to obey, and, as she grabbed the vial, accidentally knocked an oddly-shaped grey-green bottle off of the shelf. As the bottle fell, almost in slow motion, Zelgadis leaped up in front of Amelia, the bottle breaking on him instead. He only got a brief glimpse of what the bottle contained: the torn label said "Chimera Extract"…

When Zelgadis woke up in his room, he felt as if his body was made of lead. Lifting his arm gingerly, he stared at it in horror. It was made of stone! Touching his ears, the boy noted that they were sharp, long, and pointy. Leaping up, Zelgadis ran towards a mirror nearby. Looking at his reflection, he screamed. His face was covered in rocks, his hair was like wire, and his eyes had lost their boyish appearance. "Oh…oh my God…" he whispered. When Xellos, Amelia, and Naga entered the room, they found their friend with his head in his hands, tears falling thick and fast onto the oak-wood floor.

**Sorry for this chapter being so short, I just needed to get to the part where Zel becomes a Chimera, and I had to include Amelia and Naga too. R&R! I'll give you a Naga plushie if you do! (holds out plushie with painted cotton balls for breasts) Hehe, Naga's so weird, yet so cool…GO NAGA-SAMA! **


	4. Chapter 3: Masquerade!

Here we are, chapter 3! (hands out Naga plushie) Now, let's get on with the fic!

Before we do, however, I wanted to note that in chapter one (not the prologue) I forgot to delete the "Zeila" bit on the disclaimer: I haven't added her in yet! (sweatdrop) Ehe, anyways, onward and upward!

Chapter 3: Masquerade!

Zelgadis, now 14, tugged nervously at his bounty hunter costume. "Mom, I'm a bit scared. What if someone takes off my 'mask'?" he asked Zellia, pointing to his scarf which covered his face up to the eyes. This was the first time he'd mingled with anyone aside from his family and fellow students since his transformation into a Chimera. The "Greywords Masquerade Ball" had been created just for Zelgadis. His mother, dressed as a swan, said calmly "Don't worry dear. Look, Xellos is dressed up too!" Turning, the Chimera nearly burst out laughing at his friend, who was dressed as Naga. "OHOHOHO! Look at me, I'm Naga, the bustiest girl in the world! OHOHOHO! I dress like a bimbo!" Xellos mocked, using magic to make his "breasts" bounce up and down overzealously. Naga, meanwhile, had dressed as Xellos. "Ha-ha-ha! I am Xellos! Now THAT is a secret! I love tea (?) and weird sticks! Ha-ha-ha!" she mocked in return, waving her index finger wildly while talking. Amelia walked up to the gang in a (rather skimpy for her) justice fighting costume. "Hi, guys! How do I look?" she asked, swaying from side to side. Zelgadis blushed. "Th-that skirt…it reaches your hips, if not less!" he stammered, pointing to the dark- blue fabric. "Well, it's supposed too! Consider yourself lucky, Zel: I nearly picked the pink 'bikini-bottom' style." Amelia retorted, straightening her light-blue tank-top with a bell dangling from it. Shrugging, Zelgadis turned back to Xellos and Naga. "Oh, my GOD…Amelia, come look at this…it's priceless…!" the Chimera gasped with laughter.

The two "rivals" had begun throwing minor spells at each other: Xellos had only one "breast" left, and Naga's pants were a little worse for wear. "Uh…guys?" Zelgadis asked tentatively. No answer, save for growls from both ends. "Guys?" Again, no answer. Finally, Zelgadis and Amelia dragged them both outside, where no one would hear them. The Chimera sucked in his breath, and hollered:

"GUUUUYYYYYYYYYYS!" The entire Greywords Mansion shook. Xellos and Naga turned around at last, saying "Yeah, we can hear you." Amelia clapped a hand to her forehead. "Took you long enough!" she groaned. However, no one was listening, the other three had already gone back inside.

Lina Inverse grinned at the crowd before her. There were costumes of all varieties: goats, ballerinas, were-wolves, swordsman, kings, pirates, and the like. She was dressed as a waitress, on Hellmaster Phibrizzo's orders. She scowled. _Phibrizzo. _Even the mere mention of him, and Lina would tense up. The evil Mazoku had enraptured her family with his innocent looks, and turned them all into slaves. Her parents hadn't lasted the first few months, they were not meant for slave work. Only her sister, Luna, and herself were left. However, Phibrizzo had decided to give Lina a non-existent choice: marry him, or marry him—the Sorceress got the dry heaves. Glancing around, she saw him: that evil smirk, that boyish look. Yes, even Hellmaster himself decided to attend. Winking at her, the Mazoku slipped on a devil mask, and strutted into the throng. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Lina followed him, her eyes burning with rage and cunning.

Zelgadis suddenly stopped chatting with Xellos, and straightened up. 'What's up, Zel?" Xellos asked. "Oh, c'mon, I know you can sense it too. There's an old enemy abroad." The Chimera whispered. Nodding knowingly, the two friends slid into the crowd, fingering their knives hidden in their gloves in case of danger.

Lina was now inches away from her master. Closer…closer…with a triumphant smirk, Lina prepared a fireball…

And was hit with a pain beyond imagination. Squinting from the pain, she found herself staring into Phibrizzo's face. "Hmm. Looks as if I have to put an anti-magic bind on you from now on. You're far too smart in the ways of spells." He tutted, raising a finger. Lina blanched, and lifted her arms to protect herself. She saw black.

"Beg pardon for the trouble, Misters and Misses. Please go on about your business." Came a child-like voice. Zelgadis and Xellos glanced at each other, shrugged, and moved towards the voice. The crowds parted to reveal a young boy in a devil costume squatting beside a red-haired girl in a waitress costume. The boy turned towards the two teenagers, and gave a small bow. "Ah, sirs, pleasant evening. My name is Phibrizzo, and this"—he touched the girl's head lightly—"is my maid, and future wife, Lina Inverse. Ah…have a little trouble with a family curse, I take it?" the boy grinned. Zelgadis suddenly stepped back. "You…" he gasped in horror. Phibrizzo smiled benignly. "Yes, me. The one who cursed you. I'm pleased it's going very well. In my part, anyway." He chuckled, lifting off his mask, and showing the Chimera his face in full. It looked like a child's, but had a evil, cunning look on it. Leaning forward, Phibrizzo whispered to Zelgadis "I command you to journey to my temple a month from now. I will be waiting…" Returning to normal speech, he said with a smile "You'll find that the bind put on your great-grandfather works on you as well, to a certain extent. Oh, and before I go"—the Hellmaster ripped off Zelgadis' scarf with a overly-dramatic flourish—"I wish to see what my curse has accomplished."

Luckily, Zelgadis, Phibrizzo, and Xellos (not counting Lina) were in a shadowy spot; the crowd didn't pay any attention to them. However, Zelgadis' wounded howl was heard by many. "My scarf! GIVE IT BACK!" he screamed in horror, and snatched the mask out of Phibrizzo's hand. Tying it back around his mouth, the Chimera growled "_Get out. Now._" The Hellmaster smiled cheekily up at him, mouthed "I had fun" and teleported from view, taking Lina with him.

Minutes later, the crowd was laughing and singing along to Xellos and Zelgadis' extremely speedy dance called "Masquerading", with the two friends singing alternate verses to each other, going faster as the song picked up speed:

_Oh! Sing a song of joy, m'boy,_

_There's a masquerade to see!_

_I'll dress as a grump of a grandma,_

_You can dress as a bumbling bee!_

_Oh! Look here comes a sly old fox,_

_And beside him croaks a toad!_

_Oh, for the love of ye, what a sight to see!_

_Here comes John as a lump of mold! _

_Oh! Look all about you, my young son!_

_There's so much to enjoy!_

_Look! Here comes a lady dressed as a old father,_

_And a old 'un playing a boy!_

_Oh! "Is it possible," you ask,_

"_That these people are slightly mad?"_

_Why sure, son, it's possible,_

_You can take it from your old dad! _(Xellos did his impersonation of a crazy man after this verse)

_Oh! Masquerades are like inhuman parades!_

_The get weirder every way you turn!_

_Just you tell your mother boy,_

_Your dad brought you here to learn!_

_Oh! Oh! Oh!_

…_Masquerade!_

Xellos and Zelgadis bowed deeply to the laughing crowd, and silently took their leave. When they got out of earshot, the companions asked each other at the same time "Are you up for it? A journey like this could be…" Zelgadis smiled dreamily. "…Full of battles…" he muttered, miming swinging a sword.

"Fantastic swords…" Xellos added.

"…And new food…"

"No chores…"

"Or homework…"

"New people to see and pester…"

"Exotic lands…"

"Festivals…"

"Mazoku…"

"Sorcerors and sorceresses…"

"Bounty hunters…"

"Tournaments…"

"SOLDIERS OF JUSTICE!" came a voice.

"Yeah…hey!" Xellos and Zelgadis whipped around to face Amelia and Naga. "We heard everything. And we're coming with you." They chorused. The Chimera shook his head. "It's too dangerous—" he began, and was clobbered with a fireball. "ARE YOU CRAZY!" Amelia yowled, another fireball at the ready. "THESE ARE THE SAME PRINCESSES WHO BEAT **BOTH OF YOU **AT OUR PRACTICE FIGHT LAST YEAR!" Naga and Amelia yelled. Hands raised in defense, the two young men muttered some pleas desperately. The two princesses then leaned toward them seductively. "If you let us come with you…we'll do all your homework and ours when we get ba-ack!" they cooed in sing-song voices. Zelgadis and Xellos' ears perked up at once. "Really!" they asked, grins on their faces. "Really." Replied the two girls. "Then SURE you can come! Welcome aboard!" Xellos cried, entwining one arm around Naga's stomach. "Hey, pervert! Let go!" Naga blushed hotly. While Xellos and Naga were fighting, Zelgadis was counting out what they would need. "Hmm, we need at least 3 weeks worth of provisions, four sleeping bags, a canteen each…" he tapped his fingers once as he talked. "Is this all we need, Zel?" came Amelia's voice as she dragged the afore-mentioned objects into view. "Uh…yeah." The Chimera replied, blinking confusedly. Amelia cocked an eyebrow at her friend, and separated the other two. "Okay, guys, shoulder one of everything each. We're heading out!" Zelgadis said with a grin as the four companions walked out of the Greywords Mansion, and into the moonlit path ahead of them. They didn't know that the curse wouldn't just end there…

**What do you think? R&R! The song is MINE, as the Disclaimer mentions. NO TAKEY! Anyway, if you review, I'll give you Phibrizzo's demon mask! (holds up mask) It's kinda ugly, but whatever. (pokes mask) Hmm…**


	5. Chapter 4: Voices

YES! WE DID IT! CHAPTER FOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUR! …Ahem. Anyway, the plot is set (points to random guy with "Plot" written on his shirt), the masks are distributed (Phibrizzo walks in, tossing masks to reviewers happily), and my homework's done. SO, I can work in peace. So—(cheesy grin)—on with the fic!

Disclaimer: …yeah.

Chapter 4: Voices

Phibrizzo smiled at the four young travelers he was eying through his "Soul-Seeker": a orb something like a crystal ball, but instead of seeing into the future, it searched out whoever Phibrizzo wanted. It was blood red, like the room where it was contained. Lina cautiously entered the room, bearing a tea tray and some cakes. "H-here, sir." She stammered, mentally slapping herself. She was NEVER this polite to anyone! Hellmaster grinned, turning to face the young sorceress. "Well, hello, darling wife." He chuckled, patting her butt as she passed him. Lina growled low in her throat, and nearly flung the tray at him in her rage. "May I remind you, _dear husband_, that **nobody ever touches my butt. Ever.**" she snarled, setting the tray down with a clatter. Still smiling, Phibrizzo launched himself upon her, fingering her delicate face with something resembling Don Juan. "My dearest Lina, I promise not to touch you there again—if you don't _wish _it." Lina made a face, and tried to pry her master off, but was unable to. Finally, Phibrizzo let her go, and she ran down the halls of the Temple, tears coursing down her face for her weakness.

Meanwhile, Hellmaster Phibrizzo was chuckling at his future wife's stubbornness. "She'll look marvelous on our wedding day…one month from now. I'll even have some attendees. Hmm, I wonder if Zelgadis will even be strong enough to put on some spats when he gets here?" he mused. Shrugging, the Mazoku entered into the room where his wife would stay. It was light blue, with a loveseat in one corner, and a large king-sized bed/four-poster in the other. There was a diamond-covered wardrobe on the left-hand side, with several beautiful dresses inside, and matching shoes and accessories. There was a red wardrobe right beside it, with Phibrizzo's clothes inside. Turning to his right with a smirk, the Hellmaster viewed the wax dummy of Lina in a gorgeous wedding dress with a jaunty eye. It was pure white, with a flowing veil, and white lace and ribbons all over it. Next to it (of course) was Phibrizzo's bridal suit. He had stolen it from a tailor shop in Sailuune, and, since he had worn something similar to the suit when he went in, nobody noticed him walking out of the dressing room with different clothes. The suit was dark blue, with black lace at the throat and cuffs. Grinning childishly at the attire, he walked out of the room, humming a speeded-up version of the Wedding March.

Lina awoke to find herself in her cell, ironically painted pink just to annoy her by Phibrizzo. How she got there, she had no idea. Rubbing her eyes, the sorceress glared at the anti-magic bracelets and earring the Hellmaster had placed on her. They were gold, with ancient spells placed on them. They jangled when she walked, a merry sound for something so depressing. Without her magic, not only would her chores get done slightly faster (such as levitating to clean the chandelier, for instance), but she could not blast Phibrizzo to pieced for making passes at her. "$# him…" Lina muttered to thin air. With a final, despairing sigh, the sorceress-turned-slave slumped down on her cot, her head in her hands. "Won't anyone come…?"

_Meanwhile, on a road miles and miles away from Hellmaster's Temple…_

Xellos sniffed the air eagerly, up in an elm tree. "Hey, guys!" he called down. "Mushroom fields at 12 o' clock!" Amelia looked up from her makeshift map. "Yay! Food at last!" she squeaked, and roused the other two travelers. Naga and Zelgadis had practically pig-piled on top of each other. The Chimera's leg was flopped lazily on Naga's stomach, while his hands were laid on her face, one on top of the other. "Uuungh. A-A-Ameeeeeliaaa…" Zelgadis gave a long yawn and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Whazzup? Found a path at la-a-ast?" Naga's huge yawn made the Chimera jump about three feet into the air. "N-Naga? What was I…?" he stammered, clasping his hands over his mouth. "My God…" Amelia began laughing outrageously at the looks on Zelgadis and Naga's faces. "Ahaha, oh, this is priceless! Hey Xel! XEL! Come down here and look at this!" she yelled up at Xellos, tears coursing down her cheeks from merriment. Clapping his hands sharply to get some feeling back into them, Zelgadis leaped up, and marched ahead, calling over his shoulder "C'mon everyone, we have several hours before sunset! We have to refill our packs as soon as possible!"

_Back at Hellmaster's Temple…_

Lina stared angrily at the mirror in front of her. It used to look as bright as the sun, but now it was hardly even visible from all the rust it had obtained. Walking up to it, the sorceress muttered "If only Dad was here. He'd know…what I could do." Suddenly, a voice ran through the dungeon, singing oddly:

_Lost little girl,_

_So young! So frightened!_

_Yearning for some kindness!_

The voice seemed familiar, but Lina couldn't place where she'd heard it before. She began singing plaintively:

_Who's is that voice?_

_That sound, so entrancing?_

_Why are you familiar?_

The voice answered back:

_Young one, please hear me!_

_Keep being strong, and wait!_

_A handsome young man is riding towards you!_

_Never give up, Lina!_

With a whoosh, the voice faded away into the distance, leaving Lina alone once more. However, soon after the voice left, she leaped to her feet with a smile, skipped to the door, and rushed outside, beginning to wonder if her cell (or life) was as bad as she'd thought.

**R&R! Finally the Internet's back up! YAAAY! I must hurry and post this chapter now, before it goes out again! Bye! And remember, R&R! I'll give you…uh, nothing… O.o**


	6. Chapter 5: The First Actual Battle!

Well, what luck! Chapter five already! ;) I'm so happy. Thanks to all who reviewed! No da!

Disclaimer: Mm-hmm. I own this fic, and the second song. Go me.

Chapter Five: The First Actual Battle in This Fanfic! Huzzah!

Zelgadis angrily stuffed some mushrooms into his pack. What did it matter that he had fallen asleep on top of Naga? He didn't have ANY "lovey-dovey" feelings for her! Suddenly, Xellos appeared beside the Chimera, and started singing "Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match…" in his ear. "SHUT UP, XEL!" Zelgadis roared, and ran farther up the mushroom field. Xellos grinned, and motioned for Naga and Amelia to walk next to him. Getting his drift, the two girls suddenly sang "Otome no Inori" at the top of their lungs (no, I don't own this song):

_To this small girl loving is_

_wonderful, my darling_

_A glistening rouge (a longful dream)_

_a pink peach_

_I want to reach for it - a maiden's prayer._

_I float to the night sky - the silver of this happiness_

_I like to shake the waves of darkness_

_my little heart is aching so profoundly_

_let my heart leap into your origin_

_I beg you, let me reach, it's this maiden's will_

_It's all I am, this pretty me._

_I'm giddy, that cologne (a beautiful dream)_

_a light blue parasol_

_I wish it would come true - it's this maiden's will_

_I beg you, let me reach, it's this maiden's will_

_the last kiss is a boomerang_

_this boomerang is a ticket for a one way trip_

_It's all I am, this pretty me_

_I feel like I'm on top of a white pegasus_

_delivering the jigsaw of love's last piece_

Just as Zelgadis was about to turn around and give his three companions a piece of his mind, they started up again, but with a different song:

_Darling, Darling!_

_How your arms forever embrace me and adore me!_

_Darling, Darling!_

_I wish for only you!_

_Your heart belongs to me, you see_

_In this innocent and natural form of magic_

_As I touch your heart_

_Darling, Darling!_

_My heart beats like a drum as you sleep_

_Are you dreaming about me?_

_Darling, Darling!_

_My hands clutch yours_

_Darling, Darling!_

_Your eyes, your loving eyes_

_Open once again, to the sound of my love!_

_Darling, Darling!_

_You know this to be true_

_Say these words, I'll say them too:_

_I_

_Love_

_You! _

Zelgadis blushed, covering his enhanced ears to the sound of the other's laughter. Picking up three squashed mushrooms, he flung them in their direction. With a squelch, the ruined vegetables embedded themselves in Xellos, Naga, and Amelia's faces. "Hey, c'mon, we were just having fun!" Amelia squeaked. Zel turned around, smiling in a twisted way, hands full of more squashed mushrooms. "No more love songs." He made as if to throw the vegetables again, but stopped with a real smile at the cries of "Okay, okay! No more love songs! JUST DON'T THROW 'EM!"

_Meanwhile…_

Phibrizzo calmly moved a chess piece with a likeness of Zelgadis across his "board", which was really a hologram of the world up to his temple. There were many other chess pieces placed all across the "board", some of which were actually rather close to where Zelgadis, Xellos, Amelia, and Naga were. Grinning childishly, Phibrizzo decided to move one of his favorites: the last Golden Dragon…

_Back with the four travelers…_

Xellos and Zelgadis laughed as they rolled through the poppies that were nearby. Amelia and Naga followed suit, nearly bumping into each other in their happiness. Suddenly, a little girl with blond hair came running towards them. "RAAAAH!" she screamed. Xellos blinked in surprise, and then said "Filia! It IS you! How are you? Last time you were just—" he stopped in mid-sentence. Filia's eyes were gold instead of their usual blue; on her was the attire of an executioner. "Xellos, you will pay…" she growled, lifting a mace that had not been there a few seconds ago. "For what?" Xellos asked, readying his staff. "FOR EVERYTHING! NOW _DIE_!" Filia roared, and leaped up into the air, mace at the ready.

However, before she could use it, Xellos fired a minor magic blast at her—just to get her off balance before his _real _attack. Suddenly, Filia's mace hurtled into his shoulder, rendering it useless. His staff clattered to the ground. Filia cackled in triumph, and fired a black-magic spell called Dark Claw, which was basically the same as Fireball, but with darkness instead. Anyway, Xellos looked on semi-helplessly, his face a bitter and cold mask. Zelgadis roared "GET AWAY, XEL!" but his friend didn't hear him. He was focused solely on Filia. With a bound, Xellos was next to her. Grinning mischievously, he lifted up her skirt—and pulled out a rotting tail!

"AUGHH!" Xellos yelled in horror, and jumped back down to earth, leaving Filia enraged slightly. Before she could blink, another Dark Claw slammed into her stomach, and she fell, her eyes turning slightly blue, then gold, then blue again. "Xellos…" she whispered.

_Back with Phibrizzo…_

Phibrizzo smiled evilly at the "Filia-piece" in his hand. "You're not much use to me anymore, kid. I'll make it…_slightly _painless." He whispered to it, knowing that Filia could hear him. He raised his index finger slowly…

_Meanwhile…_

Xellos stood impassively, watching Filia's fall with slight interest. "She's the last of the Golden Dragons. I used to visit her." He informed the others. "It looks as if something's gotten a hold of her since." Zelgadis had the dry heaves. That tail…it's horrible, black and dripping form was imbedded into his mind. Looking up, he noticed that Xellos was suddenly very tense. "Oh, God, no, please no…!" Xellos held his hands behind his head, as if trying to block a blow. "Phibrizzo…get out…GET OUT!" he screamed, amethyst eyes opening fully. At the same time, Filia's fall had stopped. Blinking in confusion, she righted herself…then disappeared with a blink of an eye. The last look that the four companions hand of her was her eyes, now blue, pleading at thin air. As Zelgadis looked on in horror, a familiar voice entered his head:

_A beautiful sight, wasn't it? _It asked, sounding amused.

_Phibrizzo…why did you do that to Filia? To Xellos? _

_Because it's fun. Admit it, her face was lovely in her last moments._

_A little, but that still doesn't give you the right—_

_Stay out of this, Zel. _Came Xellos' voice. It was cracked, and angry.

_Ah, Xellos, just the man I wanted to see! Or should I say—Mazoku? _Phibrizzo's voice chortled mentally.

_I'm not like you, Phibrizzo. I have a life. _Xellos' voice now seemed haughty, scorning.

_Perhaps. But don't forget, now that Zelgadis knows, what's to stop him from killing you, hm? _Phibrizzo seemed confident in his information.

_Why would I kill my best friend? Even if he IS a Mazoku, that doesn't change the fact that he and I have been together since we were kids. Who thought up the masquerade? He did. Who made life still seem worth living after the "Chimera-Incident"? He did. So, you see, I don't want to kill him because he's saved me so many times. _Zelgadis swelled with pride as he said these words. He sensed Xellos did too.

_Well, I wouldn't bet on Amelia and Naga being as appreciative. Ta-ta. _Hellmaster Phibrizzo's voice faded out of sight, letting Xellos and Zelgadis' thoughts go back to their own minds.

Xellos opened his eyes slowly, fearful of what he might see. Zelgadis was bent over him, holding a pitcher of water. "Wake up, Xel. Amelia and Naga left." He muttered, apparently angry with himself. "Well"—Xellos lifted himself up with difficulty—"I suppose Phibrizzo was right on that account. Your probably wondering just who I am really, and where I came from. This may help, I guess." He handed Zelgadis a faded scrap of parchment. Looking at them, the Chimera mentally read:

_I, Xellas, make a request to Rezo Greywords and family:_

_My son, Xellos, has long been sought by Hellmaster Phibrizzo, my older brother. He (Phibrizzo) is ruthless in his ways of gaining my son. He even went so far as to kidnap his little friend, Filia, from her house one day. In any rate, my son will not be idle. He has amazing power, even for a Mazoku, and is a hard worker. Be warned, he loves playing tricks and annoying people. I hear also that you have a child, a male. That is good, for my son craves company in his room at Wolfpack Island. My instructions to him were/are: Travel to the Greywords Mansion, befriend the boy, and live a good life with him. Even get married if you wish. That is all._

_Good luck and good fortune!_

_Xellas Mettalium, 5th Mazoku Lord, Lord Beastmaster._

Zelgadis blinked in surprise. "Huh…you know, this explains a few things. Like on every holiday, you would dissapear for a few hours, then come back, happier than usual. And the fact that whenever someone was sad, you would look at them dreamily for a moment, then comfort them. It all makes sense!" Xellos smiled and stretched. "Glad you think so. Now then, let's get going. With any luck, we'll be in Sandaria by nightfall." He chirped, and slung his pack over his shoulder. Following his lead, Zelgadis jogged after him, wondering if he should tell the Mazoku that Amelia and Naga were a few miles ahead, possibly waiting for them…

**What do you think? R&R! I'll give you Filia's mace if you do! (holds up mace and makes a Filia face) "Namigomi!" **


	7. Chapter 6: Change of Mind?

Well, whaddya know? Chapter six is here! ;) (hands out Filia's mace to reviewrs) Hee-! Okay, heeeeere we go!

Disclaimer: …I own Lina's song. Go me! Yes, I know, there's lots of singing, but I LIKE singing, so HA!

Chapter 6: A Change of Mind?

Lina stared upward at the ceiling of her cell as the voice descended upon her awaiting ears:

_How does life go_

_In this dark temple?_

_Have you heard any news?_

Lina pondered the question for a moment, then sang back:

_Nothing much, oh voice of mine!_

_My Lord never tells me such things!_

_But tell me, O Bodiless One,_

_Are you an Angel with wings?_

Mentally Lina slapped herself. Of course angels had wings! Well, most of them… The voice suddenly spoke again:

_Wingless Angel some may call me,_

_Those who have seen my face!_

_You may do so, oh child of the sorceress race!_

Lina grinned to herself, a plan formed in her head. However, before she could voice it, the Wingless Angel sang once more:

_No, little one, don't try it!_

_I won't show you my form!_

_Call me shy, but truth be told_

_Not many want me at the door!_

Lina shrugged, and listened as the voice disappeared with a whoosh. Getting up, she walked to her cell door, and walked outside to the temple hallway. Glancing behind her, she noticed that Phibrizzo was walking towards her. Growling, she asked "What do YOU want, kid?" The Hellmaster's right hand rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, er, I was going to ask you…if you would take a walk with me." He muttered, his face in the sheepish-anime-expression. The sorceress bent down to his height and asked "Why? Do you plan to seduce me in the gardens?" Phibrizzo shook his head. Lina thought for a moment, then hissed "In the villa?" Again a shake of the head. Lina was loosing her patience. "Well, WHERE then!" she screamed, knocking the Hellmaster off balance. "Waah!" he squeaked as he fell over onto his bottom. "No, miss Lina, I don't want to seduce you." Phibrizzo sniffed, looking on the verge of tears. Lina blinked in surprise. Helping him up, she said "Okay, fine. Where are we going?" Phibrizzo shrugged. Taking her hand, the Hellmaster walked the sorceress through a maze of hallways and doors, never letting go. Suddenly, Phibrizzo stopped walking. "Okay, close your eyes, please." He instructed. Lina, used to ordered, obediently did as she was told. "Alright, you can open them now!" Phibrizzo giggled. Opening her eyes, the sorceress gasped with surprise.

They were standing at the foot of a large, underground lake. In the middle there was an island, with bookd and blueprints and play scripts and easels scattered everywhere. In the center, there was a church organ, rather worn out, but still able to play a tune. Snapping his fingers, Phibrizzo conjured a boat out of thin air, and, settling Lina into it, poled it across the lake to the island with a gold pole to match the boat.

After a few strong, swift strokes, they arrived at the island. Leaping out of the boat, followed by Lina, Phibrizzo exclaimed "Welcome to my 'kingdom'. I heard from a fellow servant that you used to enjoy singing when you were a child. Let's see how well you can vocalize." Walking toward the organ, he seated himself, and began to play a familiar song. Lina gave a small smile, and began:

_Roads go eternally on_

_Through the seasons and years_

_As the snow melts one_

_Another path will soon appear_

_Adventures are waiting_

_Outside the oaken door_

_Coming back from one_

_We cheer for some more!_

_Roads go eternally on_

_Like friendships, they will grow_

_Through the warm days of Spring_

_To the chilly days of snow_

"Higher!" Phibrizzo ordered, his eyes shining with joy. Lina obeyed, practically rolling in her triumphant voice:

_As our lives begin to turn_

_Know as you listen, you will learn:_

_All roads lead to one place_

_Which every one must, at one point, face! _

_Roads go eternally on_

_Unlike life, which has to go_

_But where will your path lead?_

_To the sun, or to the snow?_

_Where…will…you…go?_

Phibrizzo applauded heartily at the song's end. "Miss Lina, you're a triumph, undoubtedly!" he said with a smile. Lina blushed, and looked around the "kingdom".

"M-Master Phibrizzo, I have one question." She turned toward him suddenly, looking deeply into his eyes. "Yes?" he prompted. "Well…there are so many things I wanted to ask…okay, here we go: Why do you want me as your wife?" Lina finally asked, after a pause. Phibrizzo smiled. "Because you have an amazing spirit. You're practically fully visible on the Astral Plane, where Mazoku live. And that's not just something anybody can do. You see, you have so many emotions, so many thoughts, like myself, that you have your own place in my world. You move there unconsciously, without even realizing it. That's why I want to marry you: you're the only human I know that shares a Mazoku's thought patterns. We can understand each other almost perfectly. Get it?" he said, index finger pointed into the air. Lina's eyes widened. It was true. When she had first been captured by Phibrizzo, when she was five, she had felt a slight tingle in her mind, some feeling of triumph that, of course, was not hers. Five months later, she began to feel other emotions, and more complicated thoughts entered her head. Such as: "How many years would I live if I were part dragon?" and "Is the Sea of Chaos really a sea?" Not really taking much notice to these questions, Lina had thought that they were natural questions. However, now that Phibrizzo had explained things more thoroughly to her, she was beginning to see things diffrerently. Thinking back, she suddenly remembered something else from a long time ago…

_Flashback…_

"Hmmm, well miss Inverse, you will definitely have an interesting future ahead of you. Let me see…" the old fortune teller clucked as she dug through her box of oddments. "Ah, here we are! Okay, miss, what do you see?" she said with a smile as she held up a piece of paper with a purple ink blot on it. Lina, then only three, stared very hard at the paper for several minutes, and said "Well, missus, it looks to me like a young boy. Oh, and he's got some sort of tiny ball floating above his hand!" The fortune teller looked at the paper herself for a moment, and muttered "Yes, yes, I can see it too…" Putting the paper away, she said "Well, my girl, I believe that you may indeed see this boy of yours very soon, oh yes, very soon indeed…"

_Present day… _

"It was true. It was really _true._" Lina muttered to herself. She was back in her cell, sketching a face. She didn't know whose it was until she studied it. "WHAT! PHIBRIZZO!" she screamed in shock, falling out of her chair. It looked rather good, since the sorceress hadlived alongside Phibrizzo for most of her childhood. Taking it and placing it beside her tiny nightstand, Lina asked herself out loud "Who was that fortune teller? And why did she even give me that paper-test?" Thinking back, she remembered Phibrizzo's comments about her having her own form on the Astral Plane. "The Astral Plane…" Lina sighed dreamily, wondering what it was like there. She decided on asking the Hellmaster. Getting up, she unconsciously pulled on a dress she didn't know she had. Looking down, she gave a small gasp. It was light blue, with white frills on the bottom and an amber jewel fastener on the back. "Amazing…" she thought to herself, half-wondering who had sent it. Shaking it from her head, she ran down the hallway, to Phibrizzo's study. She didn't notice the eyes that watched her—the eyes that were full of fondness and lust…

_In Phibrizzo's Study, three hours later…_

"…And so that's what the Astral Plane is like." Phibrizzo concluded, folding his hands across his lap. Lina grinned at the…boy (?) in front of her. He was blowing his manuscripts and papers across his desk, smiling like a child. "You really should try this sometime, miss Lina!" the Hellmaster said between breaths. "I can't, 'cause you give me so much work." Lina smiled bitterly. Phibrizzo looked up from his manuscript-blowing. "Hmm, good point. Okay, as of today, you get four hours off each day!" he chirped. The sorceress blinked, blushed, stammered her thanks, and fell over in a single movement. Phibrizzo laughed and helped her up. "I take it you're pleased with that?" he chuckled as Lina righted herself on her chair. "Ehehe, yeah, guess so…" she giggled, embarrassed. Phibrizzo laughed again, and poured her some cordial.

_A few days later…_

For Lina, life seemed to have taken a better turn. She now had four hours off from the normally grueling work she preformed, spent most of her time either with Phibrizzo (though she hated to admit it) or in the underground lake, where she and Phibrizzo would sometimes sing together. She enjoyed these few hours together, because each time she got to see more of her master's personality. However, she reminded herself that he was a Mazoku, not a human, and that he wanted to marry her. So, she would try her best to keep her pride-barrier up as much as she could. However, she began to just leave it altogether, and found herself almost _eagerly waiting _for the marriage. She had gotten less and less appearances from the Wingless Angel, whoever he might be. She debated with herself on whether she should even ask Phibrizzo about him. She decided against it. After all, she didn't want anything to spoil the relationship they had together.

One night, Lina awoke to the sound of something moving next to her on the bed. Turning over, she found herself staring into the gold eyes of Phibrizzo. "Ah…ah…!" she gasped, trying to move away, but found that the Hellmaster's arms were holding her tightly. "Oh c'mon, miss Wina! I had a bad dweam!" Phibrizzo mock-whimpered in a baby-voice. "Hey, let me go!" Lina yelled, and tried to whack Phibrizzo over the head, but failed, for some reason. "You gave me too much of your soul. Now you belong to me." The Mazoku Lord of Death whispered with a smile.

Thinking back, Lina felt herself grow cold. "It was…all…?" she gasped for breath. "Yes, all just an illusion. You wanted company so much you would even go to me for it. I nearly had you, too. Pity. Anyway, there's no point in my child-act anymore. Look in the mirror." Phibrizzo purred, holding up a looking-glass. Staring at the mirror, the sorceress gaped. On her head, a gold crown-like device was fixed onto her head. It had an amber orb in the center, with a sapphire orb on one end, and a ruby orb on the other. "It symbolizes us. The jewels, I mean. As for the crown, well…" the Hellmaster chuckled. Lina screamed as the crown began to glow. Suddenly, the world disappeared in a flash of blue light…

"Urgh…where am I?" Lina groaned. She was in some sort of dark vortex. She began walking in circles to get circulation back in her legs. Two familiar gold eyes stared at her as if from far away. "I recommend that you stop walking around. It'll make things less painful." It instructed. Lina, however, didn't listen, and continued walking in circles. "Okay, Phibrizzo, you b—" she began with a snarl.

PWICK. A sound like a violin being plucked was heard, and her train of thought was lost. "Okay, what was that?" Lina asked herself. PWICK. Again, her train of thought was lost. Okay, she was in this place for some reason. Why? Well, it might've involved her parents? Maybe her sister? She couldn't remember. There was someone coming to save her, according to…to who? Some sort of angel… Oh, wait, that was it, the Wingless Angel! Yes! She was being held as a slave by Hellma—PWICK. "O-okay. Let's try my name." she told herself. _Lina Inverse Lina Inverse Lina Inverse Lina Inverse Lina…Lina…Lina Phibrizzo? Yes, that was it, Lina—_"NO! NO NO! MY NAME IS LINA INVERSE, SISTER TO LUNA, SORCERESS SUPREME, AND SLAVE TO HELLMASTER PHIBRIZZOOOOOOOOO!" Lina screamed, yanking her hair in anger to help keep that sentence in mind. Yes, that was it, that was what really happened! She was L—

PWICK. The last memory in her mind was eliminated, and Lina fell down, down, down into the vortex—and into the waiting arms of Phibrizzo in reality. "That was much easier than I thought. Now, Lina Phibrizzo, it's time for you to rest." He smirked, and levitated the sorceress to her new quarters.

**How is it? R&R! This was wicked fun tow write, like all the chapters. Phibrizzo's fun to write about! Speaking of which—(holds up Phibrizzo's Soul Orbs)—if you review, you get THESE! **


	8. Chapter 7: Insert Title Here

Hooray! Chapter 7 already! (hands out Phibrizzo's Death Orbs) …I recommend holding those gently, folks…they're fragile. (clears throat) ANYWAY, onward to chapter 7!

Disclaimer: Okay, okay, I don't own Slayers, only the Pradadise-ade drink. Happy? Good!

Chapter 7: -Insert Chappie Title Here-

Xellos and Zelgadis wearily glanced around them as they entered Sandoria. They knew that Amelia and Naga were probably waiting for them to make a move. "I wonder…do you think they've disguised themselves? Naga's no bad shake with cloaking spells." Zelgadis asked his friend as they looked at the faces running past. "Possibly. Speaking of which, we'd better change." Xellos replied as he dragged the Chimera into an alleyway. "What do you mean, 'change'?" Zelgadis hissed as the Mazoku positioned his staff. Xellos winked.

"What the--? Hey, no, wait a MINUTE! Are you CRAZY!" Zelgadis blushed crimson.

"No. Remember: Mazoku can change their looks, including—how shall I put this?— their _shape._" Xellos said with a smirk, suddenly growing ridiculously long eyelashes and batting them in a seductive way.

"NO."

"Think of it as a masquerade. After all, we know all too well how woman act."

There was silence for a few moments. Finally, Zelgadis groaned "Fine, let's get this over with…" Xellos grinned.

_Later…_

Xellos couldn't stop himself from laughing. In front of him was a blond-haired, seductive-eyed, bimbo-oid lady who had once been Zelgadis. "Oh, shut up. You should see yourself." The Chimera muttered. Xellos had chosen to look like a purple-haired version of "Alice in Wonderland", complete with bloomers. "Well, c'mon, at least no one will recognize us. And you're not a Chimera at the moment. Think of that and smile!" Xellos…giggled…picking a daisy out of thin air and sniffing it daintily. "Stop that, you pansy. You're overdoing it." Zelgadis growled, trying to make himself look less like a seductress. "C'mon, I wanna see you try, 'Zellie'!" Xellos chirped. Zelgadis—er, "Zellie" cleared his throat, embarrassed. "I can't just say ANYTHING, you know. Give me some lines to use or something." His (or her, bwahaha) Mazoku companion produced two slips of paper from thin air. Taking it, the former-Chimera nearly fainted away. "WHAT IS THIS!" he screamed. "No-o-o-thi-i-i-ing!" chanted Xellos is a sing-song voice. "Zellie" cleared his throat again, and muttered:

"Heeeeey sugar! You're just my type! Now c'mere and…HEY! XELLOS!"

Xellos cracked up, and said mock-innocently, in a high-pitched voice "What is it, dearest sister Zellie? Do you want to make daisy-chains?" Zelgadis (I'm just going to call everyone by their regular names, it gets confusing) put on a sly smile, and said "Okay…Xellie!" The Mazoku fell over in surprise, squealing "NYA!" at the top of his lungs. Laughing like a lunatic, Zelgadis walked out into the street, his friend muttering darkly behind him.

"You know, maybe we should've chosen better disguises." Zelgadis whispered to Xellos. "Nah. This is the whole point of it: nobody will suspect girls." His friend replied. Looking up from their conversation, they noticed two males approaching them. One had a tan, masculine body with only a loincloth as clothing, and a doe-eyed pageboy. "Hmm. Could be trouble. Or"—Xellos smirked at his Chimera friend—"a chance to prove your FEMININE SIDE." "Oh, shut up. Let's just get this over with…" Zelgadis snarled, and tugged on his sleeves. The muscle-man reached them first. "My name is…uh, Nim, and this is…Jim. Say hello to the nice lady, Jim." The man introduced himself and the boy. Jim, the boy, peeked out from underneath his overly-large hat. "Oh, hello. Erm, my name is Xellinda, and this is…er, this is Zellinda." Xellos piped up, curtsying to the two men. Zelgadis' eyebrow twitched, but he curtsied to Nim and Jim as well. "We're siblings." The four chorused. Nim and Jim blinked and took Zelgadis and Xellos by the hand. "Are you two thirsty? We could get you a great drink at the Pink Dragon Inn!" Nim asked them. Xellos shrugged. "Sure, mister!" he chirped.

_An hour later, at the Pink Dragon Inn…_

Zelgadis had finished off his seventh serving of the drink folk in Sandaria called "Paradise-ade". It was basically a cordial with the flavor of peaches, grapes, and peppermint. "Mmmm, this stuff'sh great! Mo' pleash!" the Chimera garbled, slamming down the empty glass. Xellos, meanwhile, was sipping some orange juice on ice. "I thought you liked coffee, Zel?" he asked, signaling the bartender for a refill. Zelgadis shrugged shakily. "Well, I cold get used t' thish stuff. Try some, Zellosh!" (Xellos) he practically screamed at his friend. The Mazoku ignored Zelgadis completely. Meanwhile, Zim and Jim were playing poker with a fat lady. Jim didn't really play, he just re-read the rules. Xellos hopped off his chair and walked towards the young boy. "Oh, hi Xellinda!" Jim squeaked. "This is no fun. Wanna go 'n play?" the Mazoku asked, going back to what he and Zelgadis called "Child Lingo". The boy nodded, and the two of them ran around the tables pretending to be a king and queen having a lover's spat. "How DARE you call me fat!" Xellos cried, waving a "scepter" in the air. Jim yelled "I'm sorry, my love!" and "fell dead in sorrow". Xellos cried again, this time with "anguish". "Oh, my darling, my darling, you MUST get UP!" He then sat on top of Jim, and stared at his forehead where his cap had been (it had fallen off during his "death-scene"). "Huh, I've never seen THAT mark on any boy before." The Mazoku muttered. It was a scar that was shaped like a circle, with a tiny dot in the center. "Where have I seen this mark before…?" he wondered to himself.

Suddenly, Nim's muscled face and body popped up next to Xellos. "How're ya, lil' miss?" the man garbled. "Ah've been sharin' the glory wi' yer sister. She's up t' fifteen glasses o' Paradise–ade, and 's goin' for fifteen bottles! Oh, yeah, her lips are totally cool." Staring in shock, Xellos leaped up, and ran towards the table where he had last seen his friend. There he was, slumped on the chair, chugging down bottles like there was no tomorrow. "Oh, my God…"

Zelgadis felt the world spinning. "M-m-m-more pleash…lots more…" he muttered. His Chimera body had deflected most of the drink's effects, but now he was on his own. He and Nim had, blinded by the drink, shared a passionate embrace and kiss a few seconds before, to which the bartender had cheered. Everyone around him was shocked. Nobody in Sandaria had seen someone drink sixteen glasses and three bottles of their famous drink. Most had passed out after the sixth. Many began cheering the Chimera on. He obeyed their requests, now downing two bottles at a time. Twenty…twenty-one…twenty-two…twenty-three… Zelgadis suddenly felt that he had to puke. However, he kept going, oblivious now to the crowd cheering and calling out bets. He began to notice that his heart-rate was slowing. Why was that? Shrugging it off, he pulled out the stopper on another bottle. Suddenly, he heard something in the back of his head…

_Zelgadis._ It was Xellos.

_Go 'way, I wanna finish this one._

_No. Look at yourself! Some powerful Chimera YOU are! Downing this stupid cordial like this!_

_Oh, shut up. I'm tired. Go away._

_No…no! Don't fall asleep Zel! DON'T! _

_Why? _The Chimera's eyelids began to droop.

_You…IDIOT! You absolute, bumbling idiot! GET UP!_

Suddenly, it felt as though a thousand hammers were banging away in Zelgadis' head. "OW!" he screamed. The crowd stopped to stare at him.

_I'm sorry, Zelgadis, but this is the only way… _Xellos sounded depressed. A birage of images came unbidden to the Chimera's head…

**Amelia and Naga were writhing in pain, while Phibrizzo laughed mockingly…**

**His grandfather was lying in bed, tossing and turning fitfully. His head was beaded in sweat…**

**Xellos was sitting in a dark cell, stripped of his clothing and staff, chained to the wall, scars covering his back…**

**And, lastly, the red-haired girl, Lina, saying "I love you, Phibrizzo." With a skimpy toga made entirely out of Death Orbs…many of them cracked and broken…**

"NOOOOOO!" Zelgadis screamed in rage and horror. Leaping up, he grabbed Xellos around the waist, along with Nim and Jim, and pelted through the Inn door, not looking back. His eyes were bloodshot. Xellos was beaming with joy, tears coursing down his face. When the Chimera finally stopped running, and dumped his passengers in a worn-down shack, Xellos said "I'm sorry I had to do that, but that was what I imagined could happen in the future. It was difficult. Forgive me." Zelgadis flopped onto the ground, the Paradise-ade's affects completely gone from him. "Those…weren't…real?" he gasped out. The Mazoku nodded. Zelgadis relaxed. Nim and Jim gaped at the two friends in disbelief, then grinned at each other. Nim hugged Zelgadis, while Jim latched onto Xellos. "You two were great! Wicked powerful!" Jim chirped, his voice muffled by Xellos' apron. The Chimera and Mazoku blushed—they knew that their true gender was hugging them. Speaking of which… "Oh. My. GOD. I just remembered…you KISSED ME!" Zelgadis screamed in horror, and pointed accusingly at Nim. "I did…?" he mumbled. "Guess I did." Xellos nearly busted a gut laughing, as did Jim. Suddenly, Xellos found himself face to face with the boy. "Please?" Jim pleaded, and pointed at his nose. "Uh…okay?" the Mazoku shrugged, and gave the boy a quick peck on the nose. Jim blushed and giggled. "Now it's my turn!" he squeaked. "B-but wait a minutem why are—?" Xellos cried, confused, as Jim's lips met his forehead. "AAAH! NO DON'T TOUCH—!" he screamed in panic. Suddenly, with a _pop_, Xellos was back in his normal clothes and height, and in front of him was…

"AMELIA!" Xellos yelled.

"XELLOS!" Jim—er, Amelia, yelled.

Zelgadis stared in disbelief, then turned to face the man that was lying on top of him, grinning broadly. "I-if that's Amelia, then this must be…" he stuttered. Nim gave the Chimera a huge, sloppy kiss on the forehead, and laughed "OHOHOHOHOHO!" in an all-too-familiar way… _Pop! _Instead of a muscle-rippling man, Zelgadis was faced with Naga, in all her random glory. The Chimera was also back to normal. "I…you…I…you?" he spluttered. Naga grinned. "Yes, I kissed you. C'mon, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Besides, nobody noticed the difference. Xellos is a pretty good disguise-creator, I have to admit." Amelia nodded, and let go of Xellos. The two sisters faced him, anger written in their eyes. The Mazoku prepared himself for a fight to the death. Suddenly, Naga and Amelia relaxed. "You know, even if you are a Mazoku, you're still our friend. We're back with you two." Amelia said with a grin. Xellos and Zelgadis jumped for joy, and hugged their old friends. "Okay, now to find a boat that'll take us to Phibrizzo's Temple!"

_Later, at the Harbor…_

Amelia and Zelgadis sat waiting for their awaited boat, the _Jolly Penguin_, to arrive. Kicking rocks in a bored way, they sat in silence. "Amelia…after Naga kissed me…what did she mean by 'it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance'?" Zelgadis asked. Amelia shrugged. "Well, we all know how sensitive you are to your skin and such, so Naga guessed that you would take on a disguise. She's good a sensing you out. Anyway, she always thought it'd be funny to give you a big, sloppy kiss when you were asleep, or something. She likes messing with people. She got her wish." She replied, chucking a rock into the shallows. The Chimera nodded absently. "Still thinking about what Xellos made you see, are you?" Amelia chuckled drily. Zelgadis nodded again. "Yeah. It makes you think…what if what we see of him is what he WANTS us to see?" he pondered. His companion shrugged again. "I think what we see of him is what he is inside. But, that's just my opinion." The Chimera nodded once more. "Yeah. That makes sense." Suddenly, Xellos and Naga came walking up, laden with fresh supplies. "We ran out a while back. Like last time: one bag, blanket, ecetera each." Xellos instructed. He turned to Zelgadis. "Oh, yes. I brought you ONE bottle of Paradise-ade. Note the expression on the 'one'." The Mazoku chuckled. The Chimera laughed. "I don't think I want to lose my money and pride again. I only have so much." He grinned. The four friends laughed as the ship came into view.

**Is it good? R&R! A drop of Paradise-ade to reviewers! BUT REMEMBER: JUST ONE DROP. ;) **


	9. Chapter 8: The Final Threshold But not

Hooray! Chapter 8! (hands out Paradise-ade to reviewers) And now, on we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers.

Chapter 8: The Final Threshold

Zelgadis stretched his arms and legs with a yawn. "Ahhh, the sea!" he sighed with pleasure. Xellos was eating lobster with glee beside him. "And with the sea comes SEAFOOD!" the Mazoku shouted. Amelia and Naga were tanning on the other side of the ship. Life was going good. However, they still had a mission to complete. "How much longer until we get to the North Mountains?" Zelgadis asked a nearby sailor. "Oh, about a day or two. That's if the weather stays good." The man replied, and continued on his way. Xellos ate the last shrimp on his plate, and headed over to the kitchen to get a refill. "You know, we really should train a bit before we hit land. After all, Phibrizzo may want to fight." He called to Zelgadis, who nodded. "Yeah, let's do that!" the Chimera called back. He began eagerly stretching again. One never knew what sort of attacks Naga, Amelia and Xellos could use or create.

"FREEZE ARROW!" Naga yelled as Amelia leaped in front of her, preparing a fireball. Her sister's attack was frozen solid. "AAH! Flare Arrow!" Amelia screamed, and fired her spell. Naga went flying into the sky, her body slightly burnt. Up above, Xellos and Zelgadis were in a stalemate: They were both two close together to use and melee attacks or spells. Several sailors were watching the fight with interest, some even cheering the duo on. Zelgadis suddenly kneed Xellos in the chest, knocking the Mazoku's air out of him. "O-oh yeah?" he yelled, and calmly cast a Dark Claw at the Chimera. Zelgadis quickly dodged it, but not before it singed his shirt. "Ouch." He muttered, and cast a Gob Flare in the Mazoku's direction. However, it missed, and instead knocked a rather large chunk of the captain's cabin away. "Ohhh boy…" the Chimera groaned. Xellos teleported beside him, and calmly made the chunk go back to it's proper place. "No need to worry. These sailors won't think anything of it." He chirped. "Why?" Zelgadis asked, looking down at the sailors. "Because I just erased their memories of this incident." Replied Xellos, whose head was beaded in sweat. "You okay?" the Chimera asked, shocked, as his friend slowly slumped down to the boat. "Yeah, I'm just…tired, that's all. I need to rest."

_A few hours later…_

Naga had eventually returned, though she was still a bit singed. She brought with her a map for the North Mountains. "See, there's a hot spring in the south, and a village to the east. The west is dominated by a harbor, and in the north is Phibrizzo's Temple. At the rate we're going, we'll be at the Mountains by nightfall." she instructed. Xellos rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I can't wait to get there!" he grinned. Nodding, Zelgadis pocketed the map, barely perceptively jerking his head towards the captain. The foursome made a big show of acting like delinquents: joking, eating, talking about their schoolwork and how tough it was, and flirting with each other. They had often did this for the past few weeks on this ship, as they wanted their mission to be kept secret. As the captain waddled past, they went back to their original talk. "I gathered a bit of information about this Lina girl as well. You know, the fiancé of Phibrizzo? Well, as it happens, her father was a great merchant, and was known by all as a seller of the best of everything. Then, several years ago, he stopped making his rounds. People who passed by his house found it empty. There was a Death Orb on the doorstep. We all know what _that _means.

Anyway, apparently he had two daughters: Luna and Lina. Luna is currently working in Phibrizzo's kitchens, and Lina…well, we know her 'duties'. She's about your age, Zel. And Phibrizzo's even got a wedding dress picked out for her. The wedding date is in a few days now. I think he plans on us being the witnesses." Naga whispered, chugging down another pint of ale. "How on Earth do you know these things, Naga?" Amelia gasped in awe of her sister. The elder Seiruun princess grinned and said "You learn many things from perverts, if you say the right things, and warn them that you'll blast them into the sun if they don't tell you what you need to know."

_That night…_

Xellos and Zelgadis stared gravely at the map that Naga obtained. "It's gonna be rough, pal." Xellos warned the Chimera. "Do you think you're ready for it?" Zelgadis grinned at his friend. "Hell, yeah. After all…this Lina…she seems interesting. When we beat Phibrizzo, I'm going to bring her back to Sairaag to live with us." Xellos smiled back and nodded. Soon they were fast asleep, the map tucked into Zelgadis' pocket once more.

Amelia and Naga sat watching their two friends. "Hah! Have ANOTHER girl live with us? Preposterous!" Naga said with a huff. Amelia shrugged. "Well, either way I couldn't care less." She said. "WHAT! And have your man stolen from you!" Naga raged. Amelia blushed. "Zel is NOT my man!" she raged. Naga ignored her. Amelia blushed even deeper. "O-oh, shut up…"

The next day passed without much excitement. When the _Jolly Penguin _finally landed at the "Black Harbor", Zelgadis and co. were ready for anything that might come their way. "Thank you very much, sir." Xellos said, and gave the captain 12 gold pieces for his trouble. Shouldering their packs, the foursome headed up the silent streets towards their destination, only a few miles away…

_Hours later…_

Zelgadis, Xellos, Amelia and Naga were panting in front of a black gate. "We'd better…rest up before we enter…" the Chimera gasped. The others nodded, and flopped onto the ground. "How much food do we have left?" Xellos asked. Amelia uphended her bag of provisions. "Nothing." She gave a dry smile. Naga and Zelgadis had likewise. Xellos pulled out two stale oatmeal cookies and sighed. "These aren't much good. They'd make good slingstones, though." He chuckled wryly. "No food at all…not a bit…" Zelgadis wheezed. Naga suddenly fell over, trying to laugh. "OHO…oh, I can't do it. I'm too tired…" she gasped. Lying down, the foursome stared upward at the black gates. Their destinies lied beyond it, if they still had the strength to walk. They were just about to lose conciousness when the gate opened, and an unseen force whisked them all inside…

**Is it good? R&R! I'll give you Naga's map if you do! **


	10. Chapter 9: The Battle! Zel & Co VS Phib

Thanks so much to all who reviewed! (hands out Naga's map) Chapter 9 is HERE!

Disclaimer: Heh. Nope, I don't own Slayers.

Chapter 9: A Match Made in Hell, Literally

Zelgadis awoke to the sound of a church bell ringing. "What…?" he mumbled as he struggled upright. He barely registered that he was in a pew, wearing a black tuxedo. Looking to right and left, he noticed that Amelia and Xellos were on one side of him, and Naga on the other. The others awoke minutes after him. "Uh, where are we?" Xellos asked as he rubbed his eyes. "Dunno." Amelia and Naga chorused. Zelgadis shrugged. "I'm not sure either. Lets have a look ar—gah!" he cried as a church organ began playing the Wedding March. The foursome stared at each other in horror. They knew where they were now. Looking towards the front, they noticed Phibrizzo in a blue tuxedo, playing the organ. "Welcome." He said, stopping for a moment. "My wife, Lina PHIBRIZZO, will be entering in a minute." Zelgadis stood up, rage in his eyes. "Let her GO!" he yelled. The Hellmaster's eyebrows were raised in mock-surprise. "Why? She doesn't want me to. She said so herself." he said with a smile. Zelgadis sat back down, shock written all over his face. Suddenly, the doors were flung open wide, and Lina entered the room.

She looked, Xellos and Zelgadis thought later, like a wandering angel. Her hair was silky and soft-looking, a firey-red that shimmered with the flames of the torches nearby. Her bridal dress made her stand out profoundly in the dim light of the room. It was her eyes, though, that scared them: they were blank, as if all thoughts had been wiped from them. Their ruby-red irises had a lost look in them. However, she had a smile on her face that made the two young men want to make her smile like that every day. But, her smile was fixed on another. Phibrizzo. The Lord of Death was smiling broadly, beckoning her forth.

When she reached the pedestal where the Hellmaster was standing, Lina spoke two words: "I do." Phibrizzo smiled. "Yes. I do too. Now, you can go change, and I shall meet up with you soon." he cooed. Lina giggled, and exited the room through a small door cunningly carved into the stonework. Zelgadis, Xellos, Amelia, and Naga all stood up as one and shouted "THAT'S IT!" Phibrizzo shrugged. "Well, yes. I mean, Lina and I already said the vows before you woke up. I just wanted you four to witness my triumph." Naga and Amelia began casting Burst Randos. Zelgadis prepared a Gob Flare, and motioned for Xellos to go. Xellos nodded, and teleported away. The Chimera turned back to Phibrizzo.

"Now it begins."

Lina sat patiently in the white boat that Phibrizzo had created for the occasion. "Oh, I _do _hope my love's alright! I couldn't bear to see him hurt, especially on our wedding day!" she fretted, wringing her hands. She was wearing a outfit similar to Phibrizzo's normal one, only with a skirt. She suddenly remembered what had happened for the past few days…

_**:Flashback:**_

"_**Are you okay?" asked a child-like voice. "Ummm, yes, I suppose so…" Lina muttered, and opened her eyes. In front of her was a young boy with golden eyes. "Hi!" he chirped. "My name's Hellmaster Phibrizzo, but you can call me Phibrizzo-sama!" Lina nodded, and sat up. "My name…is Lina, I believe. Where am I?" she asked. The Hellmaster grinned. "You're in my temple! You'll be okay. Just follow my orders." "Okay!" **_

_**:End Flashback:**_

"Oh, my dear Phibrizzo-sama!" Lina sighed maidenly, and pressed her hands to her heart. Suddenly, there was a man sitting opposite her. "Hi there! My name's Xellos. Don't bother introducing me, I already know who you are." he said. Lina blinked. "Um, okay. So, Xel-san, what're you doing here?" she said, cupping her chin in her hands. "Well, I've come to talk to you. You looked lovely back there. And you do now." The Mazoku inched a bit closer to the once-great sorceress. He was using every ounce of Mazoku Persuasion he could muster, and was doing quite well for one so inexperienced. "Eep…eep…!" Lina squealed, finding herself in Xellos' arms. "Now I want you to tell me everything…" he whispered in her ear, knowing that, if he was successful, this experience would never reoccur again.

_Meanwhile…_

Naga crashed into a wall, unconscious from the force of the attack. Amelia was crawling towards Phibrizzo, trying to cast an Elmekia Lance through the pain of her broken leg. Zelgadis was the only person left standing, besides the Hellmaster. Hatred shot through his body. "I'll…never let you live…" he growled. Phibrizzo smirked. "You're so cute when you're mad, you know that?" he chuckled. "SHUT UP! You're just toying with me." the Chimera replied, unsheathing his sword. "And that'll help you _how_?" Phibrizzo said incrediously. "I know that you Mazoku are nearly invincible, and that swords don't do much against you. But how about"—Zelgadis lifted his sword to the ceiling—"a sword with a Mazoku attack to power it!"

_ZZZZHING!_

A black lightning bolt struck Zelgadis' sword, giving it an eerie glow. Xellos appeared beside the Chimera, holding Lina in his arms. "I did the best I could with one hand free." he told Zelgadis. Gently placing the unconscious girl on the floor, the Mazoku turned to face Phibrizzo. "You'll pay for what you did to this young girl, this LINA INVERSE." Zelgadis and Xellos yelled simultaneously.

The Hellmaster smiled. "Whatever. I've still won Lina. You're all witnesses. You saw us take the vows!" he said triumphantly. Xellos and Zelgadis had just begun to nod in assent, when their faces lit up. They glanced at each other, smiling broadly. "Have we, Xel?" the Chimera asked in mock-surprise. "Why, no, Zel, we haven't." the Mazoku replied with a broad wink. Phibrizzo fumed. "YOU LIE! YOU WERE HERE! RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM!" he screamed.

Xellos smiled like a teacher trying to explain 2+2 to an emotional 5-year-old. "No, we haven't. You see, you said the vows _before we woke up, _so we didn't hear them. All you and Lina said when we awoke as 'I do'. Therefore, we didn't hear the vows, only the ending ones. For all we know"—the Mazoku grinned cheekily up at Phibrizzo from his perch—"you could have been playing 'House'." Phibrizzo turned around and pouted. "Meanie." he muttered.

Zelgadis grinned up at the sulking Mazoku. "If you're so mad, why don't you go bother someone else? Better yet, we'll leave you alone if you let Lina go, AND release my family from your curse." Phibrizzo's face suddenly broke into a smirk to rival Lina's, or would have had she been in the right state of mind. "WHAT curse?" he asked with an evil chuckle.

"YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT CURSE I'M TALKING ABOUT!" the Chimera below him screamed. "I honestly have no idea what curse you mean. It was just pure co-inky-dink (coincidence) that you became a Chimera." Phibrizzo said with a laugh that meant full and well that he was lying. "SHUT UP!" Zelgadis yelled, and lunged at the Hellmaster with his sword. _ZZZZ—! _The sword lay point first in the ground, about a inch away from Phibrizzo, who had quickly slid down to the ground to avoid getting sliced. Phibrizzo smiled up at the Chimera. "Nice. Pity I can teleport." he said with a cheeky grin.

It was at this moment that Lina chose to awake from her unconscious state.

"Ooh, my head…" she groaned, and sat up. Zelgadis gently pushed her back down to the floor. "It's not safe yet, keep low." he whispered to her. Lifting up Lina's bangs to check her for wounds, he noticed the gold crown-like band in the center of her forehead. "Hey, Xellos, look at this!" the Chimera exclaimed. Xellos bent down and examined the find. "Huh, looks like a 'Marionette Crown'. I've heard about those from my master! They can make whoever wears it lose all memories of their past life. This is serious." the Mazoku said in awe. "Well, how do we get it off?" Zelgadis asked, placing his hands on either side of the "crown". "Now that…is a secret!" Xellos chirped with a smile, placing his index finger to his mouth. "Oh, shut up! You're not helping me. Now, I'll ask again: HOW DO WE GET IT OFF!" the Chimera shouted at his friend. "Geez, calm down. I only know sooo much about magic items. Now, what we could do is—THIS!" Xellos shouted with glee, and kissed Lina full on the lips.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Zelgadis, Phibrizzo, and Lina screamed in shock. Phibrizzo was frothing at the mouth from anger. "You cut that out!" he screamed at Xellos. The Mazoku in question winked roguishly at the watchers, and kissed the would-be-sorceress once again. Lina blushed furiously. "Wh-why you little—FIREBALL!" she yelled, and created a tiny spark in her palm. "NO!" shouted Phibrizzo in panic. "This can't _be_!" Xellos leaped up from his position on the floor with a grin. "Well, I knew that at some point, Lina's _true personality _would resurface. So, I guessed that the reason Phibrizzo even put the 'Marionette Crown' on her in the first place was because normally she would hate romantic relationships and physical attraction." he chuckled. Lina was working herself into a frenzy. "HOW DARE YOU KISS ME! YOU…YOU…!" she screamed. Then, suddenly, she went quiet.

_**:Flashback again:**_

"_**Lina, please. Just this once." Phibrizzo purred. Lina blushed, sighed, and turned her head towards the eagerly waiting Hellmaster…**_

_**:End Flashback:**_

"Wait…you aren't the only one who kissed me…Phibrizzo kissed me multiple times…I'M GONNA DESTROY YOU PHIBRIZZOOOO!" Lina screamed, and destroyed the anti-magic bracelets with two flicks of her wrists. Charging forward, she made up a spell on the spot:

_As bright as the Sun which shines upon me,_

_As red as my blood,_

_As blue as the tears we Humans cry,_

_As we face our darkest fears_

_Let my unworthy hands hold your power,_

_And let this battle be won!_

_Let the heavens tremble!_

_The time has come!_

_AURORA FLARE!_

In Lina's hands, there was a bright, shining ball of many colors, like that of the Northern Lights. Her eyes began to water with the strength her new spell emitted. With a grim smile, she threw it at Phibrizzo, who was staring in awe of the power before him. "MISS LINAAA!" he cried, a sad, pitiful sound. The sorceress shook her head slowly, and stepped back several paces, warning Xellos and Zelgadis to stay back.

**BOOM. **

The Hellmaster's Temple was reduced to rubble in an instant. Phibrizzo was banished to the Astral Plane, where he would lie in wait for many a day. Lina dropped onto her knees, the ground below her speckled with tears—of both joy, and sadness. The "Marionette Crown" around her head remained unbroken, save for a few tiny cracks. "Will it always be there?" Zelgadis asked Xellos. The Mazoku nodded solemnly.

"I…I can't believe it…" Lina sobbed. "For the first time since I was little…I'm free! But still…I'm going to have difficulty getting used to it…not being near Phibrizzo. After I lost my memory, he became nice, you know—all truth and smiles. He really did love me, but I didn't give him a chance." Xellos knelt beside the sorceress, his amethyst eyes fully open. "Listen to me, Lina." he commanded. Lina glanced up at him, tears falling from her ruby-red eyes.

"Phibrizzo loved you, it's true, but his methods—those aren't the true way to gain a person's love. Trickery, deceit—those aren't right, you need to show your emotions in your own way. Show your true personality—it helps. Of course, this IS a Mazoku talking." Zelgadis blinked. That speech—that speech that made PERFECT SENSE—came from his best friend, the guy who thought they should make halipino-pepper flavored ice cream! "Hey, Xel, I didn't know you were a romantic type." the Chimera said with a smirk.

Xellos shrugged. "Oh, you learn a lot from being a Mazoku, especially if your master's a woman." he replied, standing up abruptly. "Now let's find Amelia and Naga."

_Later, on the other side of the ruined Temple…_

"OHOHOHOHOHO! Nothing like plundering a Mazoku Lord's servants, eh Amelia?" Naga boomed as she chowed down on a sausage. Amelia grinned and wiped the blood off of her pants. "Thanks to your healing spells, I feel great! I wish I hadn't bled so much, though. Blood's wicked hard to wash off." she said, and relieved a dying minor Mazoku of a gold belt with a pink rabbit's ear dangling from it. "Uh-huh, this'll do nicely." the younger Princess of Seiruun muttered to herself as she clipped the belt onto her middle. Naga shielded her eyes with a fork and shouted "Hey, it's Zel and Xel! And a girl!" Amelia immediantly straightened up, and raced toward the weary warriors. "EVERYBODYYY!" she squealed, and hugged both Xellos and Zelgadis. "How are you, Amelia? Oh yeah—this is Lina Inverse. She'll be moving in with us. Lina, this is Princess Amelia wil Tesla Seiluun, the second crowned Princess of Seiluun." The Chimera introduced them. "Hi." Lina said, holding out her bloodied hand. Amelia held out her own red-stained hand, and shook it. "Sorry about the blood, but Naga and I got wounded pretty bad. That and there were a few groups of livestock that needed healing as well." she said sheepishly. Lina shrugged. "Ah, no big deal." Naga abruptly stopped eating, and tripped across the massacred Mazoku minions to Lina. "Flat-chest! HA!" she taunted, shoving her chest into Lina's face. "AAAH!" the sorceress gave a muffled scream, and shouted "FIREBALL!" Naga was, in a few seconds, turned extra crispy. "Who the heck IS this bimbo?" Lina asked scornfully to Amelia. "That's my sister…Naga." Amelia said, blushing hotly. "Oh. Oops." The sorceress shrugged. Zelgadis paled. "I'm beginning to think we might regret this…" he muttered to Xellos, who was grinning broadly. "Oh, she's staying, Zel. Look at all the chaos she's creating! Marvolous!" the Mazoku muttered back, chuckling under his breath. Lina turned towards the two young men and uttered the sentence that sealed the fate of the five companions, and started what would be known as the Himitsu War:

"Sooo, how many miles away is Sairaag, anyway?"

**Okay, one more chapter left to go: the Epilogue! Remember, R&R! I'll give you Lina's headband if you do!**


	11. Epilogue

Hi again! (grin) Here's the epilogue! (hands out Lina's headband to reviewers) Okay, on with the fic!

Epilogue, two months on

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, only this fic, and Zeilia.

Zelgadis leaned against the wall of his room, feeling bored. It wasn't often that he felt this these days, not anymore. Lina was enough to see to that. She, having been a slave most of her life, was finding new things to say and do around every corner. And then, there was Naga's attempts to get a rise out of her. These, fortunately, had failed fantastically each time they were tried. Smiling, the Chimera jogged briskly off to the kitchens, where he knew Xellos would be making some delicious Mazoku delicacy for breakfast. Lightly tugging his light blue habit cord and straightening his azure tunic as he went, Zelgadis vaguely wondered what Amelia was doing. She and Naga had gone home for a few weeks to oversee the construction of a new bell tower. _I'll bet it'll look beautiful when it's finished. _he thought as he walked down the concrete steps to where the kitchens were located.

_Meanwhile, in the kitchens…_

"Easy, miss Lina, eeeeasy!" Xellos yelled as a pancake the size of his head collided with the ceiling. "Oops. Why didn't you TELL ME not to through 'em that high!" the sorceress in question screamed. The Mazoku grinned and dusted off his flour-covered hands on his plum-colored tunic. His bare feet instinctively moved closer to a nearby oven. "Sore wa…Himitsu De—" Xellos began, but was clobbered by Lina's spatula in mere seconds. "WILL YOU QUIT SAYING THAT! You…you…PLUM-BRAIN!" she roared. The Mazoku's eyebrow twitched. "My name is Xellos, or Xell. NOT 'Plum-Brain'." he muttered darkly. The sorceress smiled and relaxed. "Okay…Xelly!" she giggled, and began working once more on breakfast. Xellos felt his face grow hot. He shrugged it off, grinned and whispered "Okay…Li-chan." Lina blushed even brighter than Xellos had. "Don't you DARE call me that in front of anyone!" she hissed, still blushing. The Mazoku smiled brightly, patted the sorceress lightly on the head twice, and turned back to his cooking. Soon, the two were giving each other tips on how to make their food of choice—pancakes—taste better than normal.

"Here, Li-chan, put some cherries and banana's in with those blueberries."

"Thanks Xel. Put some candied apple slices in with those chocolate chips. It'll taste great!"

"Thank you. Have this bag of sugar. It'll go wonderfully on top of the pancake, and when you cook it, the stuff'll sink into the dough!"

After several more minutes of this, the kitchen returned to silence. Lina began tugging on her hair net, and Xellos' chef hat kept flopping over his eyes. "Uh, Li-chan, did you turn off the lights?" the Mazoku asked as he kept bumping into things. The sorceress chuckled. "No, dummy, you've got your hat over your eyes. Here, lemme do it." she laughed, and calmly yanked the hat off Xellos' head. Lina came face to face with the Mazoku's piercing, lulling eyes. "Oh…" she gasped in fascination. He had never opened his eyes in front of her before, except for when she had been fully captured by the "Marionette Crown" which still lay on her forehead. She had tried to cover it with a black headband, but it always fell off. Eventually, she decided to just keep it where it was. Xellos' eyes twinkled merrily as Lina bent even closer to him. In a matter of seconds, they were touching noses. "You look…cool." the sorceress whispered in awe. Then, standing up, she marched back to her place at the long cooking table, and shouted "Well, we can't just sit staring at each other all day. What about your pancakes?"

Zelgadis entered the kitchen just in time to see Lina and Xellos fill up their food trolleys. There were fruit and candy pancakes, poached eggs, toast with all kinds of toppings on them, fruit salads as big around as Naga's ego, and other delights. "I take it your second day as cook turned out well for you both?" he asked Xellos. The Mazoku grinned. "Yep. Right, Li-chan?" he chuckled, and nudged Lina lightly in the ribs. She blushed. "Uh, yeah, right. Xel." The sorceress abruptly pushed her trolley out a door that had been cunningly built into the wall some years ago. "What did you do, Xel?" the Chimera hissed at his friend. Xellos blinked. "Well…nothing. At least, I think I did nothing. I'm not used to girls like Li-chan, Zel. I'm used to Amelia and Naga types." he muttered. Zelgadis placed a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, 'O Best Friend of All', lets see how breakfast is coming. I'll race you!"

THE END

**(grin) In case you didn't notice, I'm planning on making a series! YAY! ) I'm going to be calling it "The Himitsu War", and this fic is it's beginning! My next fic in this series will be…interesting. To make a long story short, Rezo decides on taking hair from Xellos and Lina, and make a new type of Mazoku…only problem is, he didn't read the fine print… R&R! See you next time! **


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